The present invention relates to a supporting device with position fixing function for stroller front wheels, and more particularly a supporting device, which allows the front wheels to be separated from the main frame of the stroller for saving space in transportation and storage, and which can automatically fix the direction of the front wheels during the course of the user""s pashing a control member thereof.
Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, a heretofore known stroller has a connecting member 30 fitted to a lower end of a supporting frame 10 thereof. A locating member 40 is connected to the connecting member 30. A wheel 20 is rotatably connected to a connecting hole 405 of the locating member 40.
The connecting member 30 has a receiving hollow 301 fixedly holding the lower end of the supporting frame 10 therein, and a through hole 302, into which a connecting rod 303 is inserted. The connecting rod 303 has a head portion 304 at upper end thereof for engaging an upper end of the through hole 302. The connecting member 30 further has a guide rail 305, which has a substantially T-shaped cross-section, for permitting a sliding member 306 to be slidably connected therewith. The locating member 40 has a tube portion 401, into which a lower end portion of the connecting rod 303 is inserted, in order to connect both the connecting member 30 and the locating member 40; a fixing member (not numbered) is used to fixedly connect both the connecting rod 303 and the tube portion 401. The locating member 40 further has a guide rail 404 communicating with the guide rail 305 of the connecting member 30 such that the sliding member 306 can be moved into the guide rail 404 with upper end portion thereof still received in the guide rail 305. The tube portion 401 of the locating member 40 has an upper end portion 402 inserted into the through hole 302 of the connecting member 30, and an annular protrusion 403 engaging the lower end of the through hole 302.
In displaying or using the aforesaid stroller, the sliding member 306 is moved downward to be received in both the guide rails 305 and 404; thus, the locating member 40 cannot move relative to the connecting member 30, preventing the stroller from being unwarily moved sideways when a person accidentably pushed the stroller.
The above mentioned stroller has an advantage that it will not move sideways when being pushed because of the above said parts connected with the wheel. However, it has a disadvantage that the wheel is not detachable, and so takes extra room in packing and transportation. The manufacturer of the stroller has to use extra room in packing the stroller because of the wheel. The numbers of strollers of above said nature that are held in one container is smaller than that of those having same size and detachable wheels. Consequently, the transportation cost is higher.
Furthermore, the user has to turn the locating member 40 in order for the guide rail 404 to be aligned with the guide rail 305 of the connecting member 30 before he moves the sliding member 306 down for the same to engage with the guide rail 404 to fix the position of the wheel 20. So, the sliding member 306 is not easy to use.
Therefore, it is a main object of the present invention to provide a supporting device for front wheels of a stroller that allows the front wheels to be separated from the main frame of the stroller for saving space in storage and transportation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide the supporting device with a position fixing function that is easy to use for the wheels.
The supporting device of the present invention includes a supporting member, a control member, and a locking member. The supporting member is connected to an axle of the front wheel, and has both an upper cylindrical part and a lower cylindrical part; the lower cylindrical part and the upper one are aligned, and have a gap in between. The supporting member furthers has a locating plate sticking out from a rear side of the upper cylindrical part.
The control member is pivoted to the rear side of the upper cylindrical part, and has an engaging end portion capable of engaging with a first, and a second portions of the locating plate of the supporting member. The control member has a locating part, which will face the gap when the engaging end portion engages with the second portion of the locating plate.
The locking member is disposed in the cylindrical parts, and has two resilient poles sticking up from a bottom part thereof; the resilient poles each has a protruding parts removably received in the gap of the supporting member.
The lower end of the front support tube of the stroller frame is passed into the cylindrical parts plus around the locking member such that the protruding parts of the locking member each sticks out through one of two opposing holes of the front support tube to be received in the gap of the supporting member.
To fix the position of the front wheel, the control member is pivoted for the engaging end portion to engage with the second portion of the locating plate, thus allowing the locating part to face the gap; the protruding parts of the locking member will automatically engage with the locating part on the course of the stroller being push around, i.e. the user doesn""t have to change the direction of the front wheel with his hands in order for the protruding parts to be able to engage with the locating part.
To remove the front wheel from the main frame of the stroller, the user only has to push the protruding parts of the locking member inward to make the same disengage from the opposing holes of the front support tube of the main frame, and then separate the supporting device from the support tube.